Clayton Moore, left, and Catherine O'Brien hold a photo of George Z. Hart during a memorial event held in honour of Hart at Fogular Furlan in Windsor on Sunday, April 28, 2013. Hart, who is O'Brien's late husband, was an American politician and was known as "the singing senator" and was well-known for often singing at local Legions. Hart died on Jan. 31 at age 88. (REBECCA WRIGHT/ The Windsor Star)

George Z. Hart, a popular American politician from Dearborn known as “the singing senator,” spent so much time in Windsor, he considered it his second home.

“He’d come over every day. He loved Canada,” said his surviving wife, Catherine O’Brien of Windsor. She said coming to Canada was like an escape for Hart. “I think when you’re in politics, you’re never off the job. So I think here he had his social life, where his working life was over there (in Michigan).”

Hart died at age 88 on Jan. 31. He had married O’Brien just over a month before on Dec. 6.

O’Brien said since he had died while vacationing in Albuquerque, N.M., they never had a proper memorial service for her late husband, who she had known for about nine years. So she decided to hold what she referred to as a “a celebration of his life,” at Windsor’s Fogular Furlan Club on Sunday.

About 180 friends, family, politicians and dignitaries were in attendance, along with a 15-piece orchestra and a lineup of eight singers. Song and dance filled the evening, just like Hart would have liked, said O’Brien.

Hart was elected to the Michigan State Senate in 1974 and had earlier served on the Wayne County commission and the Dearborn city council. The politician was also a Second World War veteran.

O’Brien said music was an everyday part of Hart’s life and he had brought his love of music into his political life.

“He became the singing senator when he was in Lansing. He was there for about 20 years as a senator and when they open up the proceedings for the day, they always opened up with a prayer. George always opened up with a song,” said O’Brien.

His musical background is how he came to know so many here across the border, said close friend Clayton Moore of Windsor.

Moore, who has played the keyboard and has accompanied singers across Windsor-Essex for decades, recalls meetingHart one day in the early 1980s when Hart just lost an election. Moore was performing at a bar on Ottawa Street and Hart had stopped by to make new friends in Windsor, seeking a distraction to his political loss.

“He loved to sing so he asked if he could come up and sing a couple of songs,” Moore recalled. “From then, he became one of my singers right up until he passed away.”

Moore travels to different Royal Canadian Legion branches throughout the area to perform dinner dances for crowds aged 50 and older. When he started this program for seniors in 1982, there was a performance almost daily. Moore said despite Hart’s busy political life – he ended up getting re-elected and served three more terms – he was committed to his singing gigs in Windsor.

“He would get dressed to the nines and come here every day,” said Moore.

He said in Windsor, people realized Hart’s political significance across the border, but saw him in a different light, always singing, dancing and having a good time.

“To all of us in Windsor, he was just part of the gang,” said Moore.

Coun. Percy Hatfield was the master of ceremonies at the memorial event and said he knew Hart well because he’s been a Legion member for about 25 years and has seen him perform many times.

“He was just a fascinating character and a great talent. He was very highly regarded,” said Hatfield. “He just had so many friends over here. He always thought of Windsor as his second home and we always made him feel welcome.”Performances at area Legions just aren’t the same without Hart singing, said Moore.

“On Monday, when I’m playing at the Branch 594 Legion out on Howard, I’ll be looking at the door waiting for him to come in because you expect him to come in and sing a couple of songs,” said Moore. “So I’m going to really miss that.”

A photo of the late George Z. Hart and his surviving wife Catherine O’Brien on display at a memorial event held in honour of Hart at Fogular Furlan in Windsor on Sunday, April 28, 2013. Hart was an American politician and was known as “the singing senator” and was well-known for often singing at local Legions. Hart died on Jan. 31 at age 88. (REBECCA WRIGHT/ The Windsor Star)

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